Sammy Hagar’s Restaurant Closes After Owner Disappears

Sammy Hagar's Rockin' Island Restaurant is one of the bright spots in downtown Roseville, Calif., with a consistent crowd and solidly booked shows that have helped revitalize the city's business district. So why did it close without warning?

As KCRA News reports, the eatery's sudden shutdown was prompted by the equally sudden disappearance of its owner, local businessman Stephen Pease. According to the network's sources, Pease "hasn't been seen for weeks"; his family reportedly filed a missing-persons report with Roseville police on Halloween, followed by a second report filed with police in Fort Bragg, N.C.

In fact, according to the most recent reports, Pease was last seen in Fort Bragg, where his whereabouts are currently being sought by local authorities. Pease most recently turned up at the Surf and Sand Lodge in town on Nov. 2; according to the poster currently being circulated by police, that date marks "five days after he’d last spoken to friends and family by cellphone." His rental car, which was due back on Nov. 5, hasn't been returned, and according to the rental agency, its OnStar system is off, making it that much more difficult to track him down.

The law-enforcement agencies pursuing the case say they currently have no suspicion of foul play, but if anyone has any idea why such a vocal (and by all appearances very successful) proponent of his city's revitalization efforts would leave his loved ones and employees in the lurch, they aren't sharing it. Meanwhile, Pease remains part of an investors' group that's currently scheduled to open another Rockin' Island Restaurant location on Dec. 15. As of now, those plans are still on track.